Large Scale In-Person Data Collection 

Large assessments and instruments need to be calibrated to align scores. Scores need to be calibrated for normal ranges found in a population, and scoring rubrics need to meet reliability standards across subgroups of the population.  

It was necessary to collect scores from a sample representing the population of the United States, as a new version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), a frequently used psychology test, was in development. This is a common step when developing new or revised psychological tests.  To meet this need, the University of Minnesota contracted with EurekaFacts to conduct bilingual data collection for the new MMPI®-3.

  

Short History of MMPI 

The original MMPI was developed in 1943.

Its current version, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), was published by the University of Minnesota Press in 1989 and revised in 2001. Updates were introduced in 2003 (The Restructured Clinical [RC] Scales) and 2006 (The Symptom Validity [FBS] Scale) as documented in a test monograph in 2009. The MMPI-2 is a self–report instrument designed to aid in the assessment of a wide range of clinical conditions. It is used in nonclinical settings to assess people who are candidates for high-risk public safety positions (police officers, nuclear power plant personnel, firefighters, pilots, air-traffic controllers), and in criminal and civil forensic settings. 

Kent State University and the University of Minnesota (UMN) sponsored the MMPI®-3: Standardization Research Study.

 

Research Methodology

EurekaFacts recruited both monolingual and bilingual individuals nationally to take the English and Spanish-language MMPI®-3 form for a total of 3,205 test administrations. Recruitment efforts were made to achieve specific demographic quotas including age, sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment. To ensure diversity of backgrounds, recruitment was conducted online via multiple social media platforms, community organizations, print and broadcast advertising, direct mail, and telephone. Participant recruitment was conducted across nine cities in four geographic regions (West, Midwest, South, Northeast).   

EurekaFacts translated contacting materials into Spanish for recruitment and provided review and feedback of the translated MMPI®-3 with regard to readability, dialect differences, and the quality of the translations. Bilingual staff at EurekaFacts also proctored the administration of the personality inventory.   

 

Research Impact

Through this project, a complete set of 3,205 responses, was collected from individuals 18 to 85 years old, across all educational achievement brackets, gender, race, and ethnicity – spanning the US. The carefully designed sampling plan afforded analysis of a complete dataset that could be used to establish the standard for the new version of the MMPI®-3.